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The world's premier ERTMS news siteFri, 09 Aug 2013 18:42:12 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8Santiago track layout was changed at last moment, taking out ERTMS to improve travel timeshttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/09/santiago-track-layout-was-changed-at-last-moment-taking-out-ertms-to-improve-travel-times/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/09/santiago-track-layout-was-changed-at-last-moment-taking-out-ertms-to-improve-travel-times/#respondFri, 09 Aug 2013 18:38:09 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=99The chairman of ADIF (Gonzalo Ferre) admits before the Spanish Congressional hearing that the initial project layout of the last stretch between Ferrol and Santiago originally was designed for ERTMS. Also, the scope statement stated that that stretch would be UIC track width. In 2010, just months before the line would be opened, the scope was changed: Conventional railway width was implemented to avoid having to build an additional two junctions which would have an impact on travel times. That is, they would slow down the carriages when they approached Santiago de Compostela.

‘That reasoning also affected the signalling system and meant that we replaced the expected ERTMS balises for conventional ASFA balises in the last sections of this specific railway connection’, declared Mr. Ferre talking to representatives at the Public Works committee the Congress.

Regarding balises and the replacement of ERTMS for ASFA, the chairman told the panel that it is done in the km 80, scarcely four kilometres before the fatal spot. ‘The distance between this transition point and the signal post marking the fatal spot is 4,007 kilometers, and that is enough distance to brake the High Speed Train if the train driver sees that the signal marks it disengaged’, said. However, the ill-fated Alvia was monitored by ASFA, as the ERTMS system had been switched off due to homologation issues.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/09/santiago-track-layout-was-changed-at-last-moment-taking-out-ertms-to-improve-travel-times/feed/0ERTMS L2 on Madrid-Valencia stretch put in operation earlyhttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/08/ertms-l2-on-madrid-valencia-stretch-put-in-operation-early/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/08/ertms-l2-on-madrid-valencia-stretch-put-in-operation-early/#respondThu, 08 Aug 2013 06:25:05 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=93In a surpising news item published in Spanish newspaper ABC and regional newspapers as well it was announced that due to succesful intermediate results in the homologation of ERTMS L2 between Madrid and Valencia (between Alicante and Albacete), ERTMS may be switched on for commercial (high speed) operation not by December 2013 but three months earlier.

The timing of the news comes days before a congresional hearing about the July 24 accident in Santiago, which revealed problems that the Infrastructure Manager ADIF and operator RENFE had been having in getting ERTMS to work and relied on ASFA instead.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/08/ertms-l2-on-madrid-valencia-stretch-put-in-operation-early/feed/0Spanish Ad-Hoc committee to investigate signalling state in Spain forms.http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/spanish-ad-hoc-committee-to-investigate-signalling-state-in-spain-forms/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/spanish-ad-hoc-committee-to-investigate-signalling-state-in-spain-forms/#respondTue, 06 Aug 2013 19:29:14 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=87The committee that was mandated by the Spanish government on Sunday and who already had its first meeting, is just one of two committees that is investigation the current state of railway safety and signaling, including ASFA, LZB and ERTMS in Spain. The committee which focuses solely on the Santiago accident of the 24th of July is executed by CIAF – an accident investigation committee that had been in place since 2007 and becomes operational when an safety incident or accident happens. The new “ad-hoc” committee that the government mandated over the weekend is merely technical, and looks at the nationwide state, not just the technical details of the derailment in Santiago.

The ad-hoc committee consists of 11 members and one secretary, the latter representing the government. The president is Ignacio Barron, is director of “Travelers, High Speed ​​and stations” and coordinator for Latin America at the International Union of Railways (UIC). “It seems appropriate to take this approach in an industry as complex as the railways,” he said yesterday after completing the first meeting. For the preparation of the report he will work with colleagues and external experts but also count on the assistance of representatives of Renfe and ADIF, according to Barron.

Members of the committee will meet once a month from now until the end of the report, which is due in February 2014. They are mostly civil engineers, a mechanical engineer, two industrial engineers, a telecommunications engineer and PhD holder from the School of Engineering will work with two physicists.

(Update 21:48)

The names of the exact members have been published:

Ignacio Barrón de Angoiti

Andrés López Pita, Civil engineer at the Polytechnical University in Catalunya, international expert on AVE

Gonzalo Echagüe Méndez de Vigo, president of the Physical Engineering College

Eugenio Fontán Oñate, deacon of School of Engineering in Telecommunications

Fernando Montes Ponce de León, member of the technical committee of IRSE and ERTMS Steering Committee (from 2000-2004 project director for ERTMS in Europe for Invensys Rail)

Fernando Nebot Beltrán, editor for normative regulation in Spanish Rail and representative in the EU for various railway committees on behalf of Spain

Margarita Novales Ordax, engineer and professor of the Engineering School in La Coruña

Emilio Olías Ruiz, engineer of the Polytechnical University in Madrid and has participated in numerous investigations

Jesús Rodríguez Cortezo, president of the council for Industrial Engineering Schools

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/spanish-ad-hoc-committee-to-investigate-signalling-state-in-spain-forms/feed/0ERTMS Pilot puts research work on ERTMS up for tenderhttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/ertms-pilot-puts-research-work-on-ertms-up-for-tender/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/ertms-pilot-puts-research-work-on-ertms-up-for-tender/#respondTue, 06 Aug 2013 19:12:29 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=84NS Reizgers has put up for tender several work packages related to ERTMS, as part of the research program of the ERTMS Pilot Amsterdam-Utrecht. The tender is open for all (consulting) organisations which can demonstrate sufficient experience and capabilities, however the language in which the works should be delivered are limited to Dutch. The publication says:

The Research Program of the ERTMS Pilot Amsterdam-Utrechtshould provide insight into the operational use of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System). In total there are 180 research questions to be answered.

Underlying tender concerns cluster 1 “processes and procedures” and contains approximately 39 questions divided into 4 lots (max. 2 lots per Registrant). The requested investigation works consists of analyzing processes which are already implemented. The question focuses on the effectiveness of these processes and procedures. These processes and procedures relate to the entire rail sector: the Infrastructure Manger, freight operators and passenger operators and service and maintenance organisations.

The tender will be closed by the 6th of September.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/06/ertms-pilot-puts-research-work-on-ertms-up-for-tender/feed/0Spanish government mandates a committee to study safety in Spanish Rail Sectorhttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/05/spanish-government-mandates-a-committee-to-study-safety-in-spanish-rail-sector/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/05/spanish-government-mandates-a-committee-to-study-safety-in-spanish-rail-sector/#respondMon, 05 Aug 2013 05:12:27 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=79The Spanish Ministry of Public Works announced yesterday that there will be a committee installed on Monday that will advise the government on how to improve safety in the Spanish rail sector, following the death of 79 people in a crash in Santiago de Compostela. The committee is to be a “technical-scientific committee” of “twelve recognised professionals in de the railway industry” which will hold its first meeting on Monday, the government released in a statement. The committee will focus on design, procedures and especially the usage of ASFA versus ERTMS.

It is unknown which organisations are selected for the committee. The purpose of the commission is to investigate the railway sector and establish a report within six months, including a comparison of the Spanish sector with other neighbouring countries. The report is to include an analysis of existing regulations as well as an analysis of measures strengthening and improving security – including ERTMS. “All safety and security protocols are to be investigated” announced Ministry, a job which ADIF had already started days after the fatal accident. It is not know how this committee relates to the ADIF work already ongoing.

The Spanish government is under pressure after widespread criticism when it was revealed after the Santiago de Compostela accident that ERTMS was installed but not used, and ASFA was used instead. Technicians and engineerings are expected to review the transition areas from High Speed Lines to conventional networks.

According to the Spanish press, the Spanish railway industry, which recently won the contract to build the high-speed line between Medina and Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, fears that this accident endangers other international projects in countries such as Brazil, the United States or Russia.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/05/spanish-government-mandates-a-committee-to-study-safety-in-spanish-rail-sector/feed/0Spanish Ministry puts ERTMS and signaling up for tender on Olmedo-Zamorahttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/spanish-ministry-puts-ertms-and-signaling-up-for-tender-on-olmedo-zamora/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/spanish-ministry-puts-ertms-and-signaling-up-for-tender-on-olmedo-zamora/#respondSun, 04 Aug 2013 11:41:12 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=72The Spanish Ministry of Public Works has announced today that it will put of for tendering the signalling and communications subsystem for the section Olmedo-Zamora High Speed Line – part of the High Speed Corridor between Madrid and Santiago. Minister Ana Pastor declared they will use a Public-Private Partnership (PPS) to undertake these works with the intention of awarding the signaling works over the next few months. The work should include at least ERTMS L1 and ERTMS L2, which would make the section suitable for speeds up to 350 km/h.

The announcement comes after the other superstructure elements such as track, traction power have already been finalised on the 95 km. stretch between Olmedo and Zamora. The government opts for the PPS construction because of lack of funds; the same reason why it did so on the other recent High Speed Lines that were tendered in Spain: Valladolid-Palencia-Leon and Sales Banos-Burgos.

The pressure to install the signalling system (including ERTMS) is on for the Ministry, because government sources claim they “would like to see the line open for commercial operation by early 2014” – part of the mater plan to have the entire 550 km. stretch between Madrid and Santiago on High Speed infrastructure by 2018.

The recent developments where it became apparent that Infrastructure Manager ADIF and operator RENFE had decided to temporarily switch off ERTMS on the Olmedo-Santiago stretch because of technical issues, may become a major influence in the tendering process, as well as ADIF’s response to install additional ASFA signalling balises to impose brake intervention on danger points.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/spanish-ministry-puts-ertms-and-signaling-up-for-tender-on-olmedo-zamora/feed/0ICE3s to start test runs under ERTMS on Amsterdam – Utrecht by mid-Augusthttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/ice3s-to-start-test-runs-under-ertms-on-amsterdam-utrecht-by-mid-august/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/ice3s-to-start-test-runs-under-ertms-on-amsterdam-utrecht-by-mid-august/#respondSun, 04 Aug 2013 00:12:34 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=69From mid-August 2013 on, ICE3 trainsets will be running under ERTMS supervision on the Amsterdam-Utrecht track in the Netherlands as part of the ERTMS Pilot, according to their news website. Three train sets have been equipped with ETCS (4602, 4610 and 4652) and will be able to perform test runs as part of the Pilot Program. Train drivers will be specially selected and trained for this program.

In this Pilot program the ICE3s will join Bombardier’s Sprinter Light Train – especially equipped with ERTMS for this Pilot – and several cargo locomotives.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/04/ice3s-to-start-test-runs-under-ertms-on-amsterdam-utrecht-by-mid-august/feed/0RENFE asked to switch off ERTMS nearly nine months before the Santiago accidenthttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/renfe-asked-to-switch-off-ertms-nearly-nine-months-before-the-santiago-accident/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/renfe-asked-to-switch-off-ertms-nearly-nine-months-before-the-santiago-accident/#respondSat, 03 Aug 2013 23:31:06 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=56RENFE asked its drivers in an internal message on the 20th of November of last year already to switch off ETCS because the usage of ERTMS has been causing delays in the transition areas to ASFA. These delays, nine of ten minutes, have been contributed to the the necessity to perform an EVC reset on the train after an unexpected brake intervention occurred.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/renfe-asked-to-switch-off-ertms-nearly-nine-months-before-the-santiago-accident/feed/0ADIF already puts new ASFA balises in ERTMS transition areashttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/adif-already-puts-new-asfa-balises-in-ertms-transition-areas/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/adif-already-puts-new-asfa-balises-in-ertms-transition-areas/#respondSat, 03 Aug 2013 23:20:22 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=54Engineers from the Spanish Infrastructure Manager ADIF have already stepped up their measures to enforces automatic speed reduction in so-called blind spots or dangerous areas. The measures include the placement of three new ASFA balise at Angrois – the curve just before Santiago where a train derailed on the 24th of July – which do enforce a braking intervention if the train exceeds the maximum allowed speed on that place. The measures have been taking under pressure of the Ministry of Public works, who announced earlier that an accident like the one in Santiago “can never happen again”.

All balises appear to have been placed in the direction of Santiago, exiting the high speed line and entering conventional track. The first balise has been placed at km 79.769, imposing a speed reduction of 160 km/h. The second one has been placed at km 81.669 (three kilomters before the curve where the accident took place) imposing a speed reduction to 60 km/h and finally two balises imposing maximum speeds of 30 km/h – one of which is just an announcement balise, 300 meters before.

The construction is a compromise between the functionality of ERTMS and the functionality of ASFA, or at least the way it has been used before the accident earlier this month. ADIF is also looking at other locations throughout the country where a similar risk may occur, in other words transition areas between ERTMS and ASFA.

RENFE in the mean time is revising driver training, protocols for onboard staff, communication protocols and management procedures to improve safety.

]]>http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/08/03/adif-already-puts-new-asfa-balises-in-ertms-transition-areas/feed/0RENFE elaborates on ERTMS L1 problems with Alvia between Ourense and Santiagohttp://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/07/31/renfe-ertms-problem/
http://www.ertmsnews.com/2013/07/31/renfe-ertms-problem/#respondWed, 31 Jul 2013 13:49:54 +0000http://www.ertmsnews.com/?p=47President of RENFE, Julio Gómez-Pomar, elaborated on the ERTMS problems of Alvia. He says that “on the hybrid trains S730 (formerly S130) we started to install the more advanced version of ERTMS. On the Madrid-Galicia line there are two sections that have ERTMS: Madrid-Olmedo (Valladolid) and Ourense-Santiago. When we started testing we saw that there were problems on both sections which we call transition failures: ERTMS ordered a brake intervention when the system was not supposed to do so. On the section Madrid-Olmedo the problem was eventually solved and the trains work fine with ERTMS now. But on the Ourense-Santiago section the problem persisted. We talked to the suppliers Bombardier to fix the problem. In the mean time, Adif authorized to disconnected ERTMS on that section and use ASFA to a maximum speed of 200 km/h. This is normal procedure.

The supplier asked for a few months to work on the problem and we are about to start the tests. We will do that at night, when the track is closed for commercial operation. The reason why Avant is suffering from these problems and Alvia no is that in the Alvia trains we wanted to install the latest version of ERTMS, which has been giving the specified problems. On the Avant trains we have used an earlier version which has been working.”

In the interview to El Pais, RENFE says that the plan is to have entire Madrid-Galicia line on high speed by 2018.